Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

[SDN-Jim]

Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center
3601 4th Street
Lubbock, TX 79430

Admissions: 806 743 2297 http://www.ttuhsc.edu/
Deadline: 11/1
In State Tuition: 8000
Out-of State Tuition: 21000
Number of Students: around 400
Average MCAT: 9-10


Please post any experiences you have with this school.

This is part of the big guide at http://www.studentdoctor.net

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[Blueprint]

Of all the Texas schools i interviewed at, the one which goes out of its way to make each interviewee comfortable is TX Tech. The deans, students and all personnel in between were extremely friendly. The only drawback seems to be the location, located out back yonder in Lubbock, W Texas. That might be a blessing in disguise: less distractions means more studying. I would like to hear from others currently at the school.

 

[tristate]

Texas Tech was the most organized interview I went to. I had the weirdest experience there. I was staying with a medical student the night before, and they owned a prairie dog. The prairie dog bite my foot that night. The next morning, I limped into the conference room with all of the other applicants. Even though everyone knew what happened the night before, everyone was symphathetic and understanding. I felt right at home!

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And the blessings just keep coming!

 

[Carp]

That prairie dog story is one of the better interview tales i've heard!! It's also very apropriate to the region.

Tech is a great school, no doubt. I didn't rank it very high (matched UTSA, alternate UTSW, Baylor)for several reasons:

1)location. If you've interviewed there, you know what i mean. I think it's really funny that you stand on the front steps of the school and look out over fields of crops all the way to the horizon. It shouldn't be a big deal, but i'm just a city snob, that's my own vanity probelm. There are a lot of people there from small towns, and they love Lubbock. Also, those are the majority of your classmates, in case that holds some meaning for you.

2) The split campus seems like a drag. Many of the students lamented having to move away from their friends to an even smaller, even more remote area after two years. The 2nd and 3rd years seemed less happy and enthusiastic about Tech. Also, and this is the worst thing, the split is a crapshoot, and some of the locations are better than others for different things, which is a big problem for me.

3) I thought their interview day was very organized, but with poorly though-out content. Among other things, i resented being sternly lectured to about how hard medical school was going to be like i'm a six year old. That lady who does it is really patronizing. I interviewed there twice and got the same exact lecture both times. this is also not a reason not to go, just an observation

4)Their residency mathes weren't the best i'd seen. This is a biggie for me. Aks yourself how competitive a residency do you want.


REALLY though, I was grateful to be invited for an interview. I don't want to sound like i think less of Tech. If that's where i matched i would have been happy. My father is a prominent OBGYN in Houston, and he feels strongly that some of the best doctors he's know come from Tech. SO, if you don't have personal problems with some of Tech's features, then it's a GREAT school. The people are super friendly, the students are not competitive gunners, the clinical experience is very hands-on. Nobody is the worse off for having gone there IF they do their absolute best.

Carp

 

[lorijean]

The medical students that attend a particular school are the only ones that can tell you what a school is really like. I could tell you the reasons for not choosing the 2 other schools I was accepted to, but I am sure that students that actually go to those schools could tell you why they like it there. I can't tell you about any school other than the one I go to. An interview only gives a brief chance to develop an impression of a school. You just don't know what a school is really like until you actually go to school there. Texas Tech has a lot of great things to offer. If anyone is interested in hearing about some of the good things at Tech, drop me a line (there is too much stuff to put here in one post).

[This message has been edited by lorijean (edited 04-28-2000).]

 

[sph]

I totally agree with Carp's statement about being lectured on the difficulty of med school by the lady conducting the interviews at Tech.

Then she proceeded to bring in another woman that talked about how the line outside her door is like a mile long after the first semester of med school because of the 1st years doing badly due to poor 'undergraduate' study habits. I think they should have saved that info for MS-I orientation.

Also didn't like how she tried to make everyone nervous before the interviews by giving us pointers on how to answer questions. Bad PR!

HOWEVER, when I talked to several second years from tech they really loved the school. They also said that the lady conducting the interview sessions has nada to do with the students.

What stood out most is that the students felt like the school really cared about them and went out of their way to them feel comfortable. I think that counts for alot. They just need to re-structure their interview sessions.

 

[dthankins]

I liked the school and did not get that lecture at my interview. Since the school is only about 25 yrs old everything is new. Faculty really seems to care more than most. I really liked the program, but I ranked it low for one reason ....I would have to buy a humidifier and somehow secure it in my backpack with an attachment that could provide H20 to my eyes, nose and mouth at all times -- the school is in the middle of a desert and you can feel the dryness! However, I could be biased since I have never lived more than 40 miles from the ocean!

 

[austinite]

The prairie dog story!!

Tech is the best hidden medical-pearl in Texas! Though I ranked it fifth on my list, it was purely because of my love to live near my mom and dad. Tech was a pleasant surprise. I must admit west texas seemed different and it is evident when ur plane lands in the cattle fields. But, when the five o' clock traffic is 2 cars on the road, u pretty much have to fall in love with at least one side of it. The town is much bigger than one imagines..and the Tech campus is central and vital to the community, hence the community respects it. Every bank, and even Wendy's..and Raiders logo on it. I kinda liked that....u miss that in big cities. Living close to an undergrad univ has its big points. The University hospital serves greater area than the other texas medical schools. The variety of cases you see differ from campus to campus, and the patient numbers are simply enormous..so u don't have to ever run into sharing patients. I think Tech students are more clinically prepared, especially the El Paso kids, than most other students coming out of med school. The interview was very well planned out....it was very one on one..instead of the 40 kids at other interviews..or the 70 I encountered at Baylor. The students, especially the one's from my u.grad school..seemed very happy being there. The avg MCAT's are pretty high for Tech...and the faculty is awsome..I think they have a very unified medical school going on htere..and the research publicatins coming out of there are increasing year by year. I think Tech will rise in its rankings year by year....

Anyway, I will be attending UT Southwestern in the fall, and if Tech was closer, and was in Houston, austin, dallas or s.antonio, I would definitely rethink my rankings..but to be honest, I don't think Tech is the same without it being in west Texas, and I don't think West Texas is the same without Tech being there!!

Go Raiders!

 

[SuperflyMD]

I may have been the only TX applicant to rank Tech number one on my match sheet. It was last on my personal list--because of location--until I interviewed there. I thought the people were great, the students were friendly, and (most importantly) the student body seemed very cohesive, in a way I didn't see at any of the other schools I interviewed at. On my flight home I updated my preference sheet and put Tech first.

As it turned out, I'll be going to San Antonio (which is also terrific, for very different reasons), but I would have been perfectly happy to get in at Tech.

stephens1

 

[tristate]

Quick hello to everyone!

I'm really excited about going to TTUHSC School of Medicine in the fall. Good luck to everyone for the next school year.

And to anyone thinking about Texas Tech, from what I saw, it looks and sounds like a great school. I am definitely happy and eager about my choice.

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And the blessings just keep coming!

 

[moonlighter]

I'm admittedly biased, since I went to Tech's med school, trained in a Tech residency, teach on Tech's faculty, and serve on Tech's admissions committee... but I wanted to clear up a thing or two about our regional campuses. First, none of them are more remote than the main campus in Lubbock, as someone mentioned above. There are 3 options: Lubbock, Amarillo, El Paso. It is not a crapshoot, as someone thinks it is. Once accepted, you basically provide a dream sheet, ranking the campuses in the order that you would prefer them. The vast majority (almost all) end up with one of their top two choices. And, it's not set in stone even then. Students who are unhappy with their assigned campus can petition to change it, and it usually seems to work out for them. It may seem like a drag up front, but I can tell you it's been my experience that most all of the students are excited about the move (if applicable) by the time it comes around. Admittedly, the campuses have different personalities and different strengths... but the experience is very uniform. The LCME insists on that. And, probably the most telling fact about all of this is that almost everyone is very, very happy with their choice of campuses by the time they finish med school. It may be a lot of up front anxiety, but our students and graduates love Tech (and its campuses) and are proud to have gone here. I could babble on and on (as if I haven't already), but you really should come out and interview. If you can handle the idea of learning in a comfortable, mid-sized city...known more for it's friendliness than tourist appeal... than you will love Tech, and will get a top notch medical education that will prepare you to train in any field you wish.